So is this just the first from our side of that conflict, a probably quite disturbed man who was picked up in Pakistan on his own mission from God?
An American construction worker has been detained in the mountains of Pakistan after authorities there found him carrying a sword, pistol and night-vision goggles on a solo mission to hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden.
Catching bin Laden was Gary Brooks Faulkner's "passion," his brother said, noting that the 50-year-old has been to Pakistan at least six times, learned some of the local language and even grew a long beard to blend in. Relatives and acquaintances said Faulkner is a devout, good-humored Christian who requires dialysis and did time in prison years ago.
It took a while before American Moslems started to trickle in to Pakistan (and Somalia) for their own private wars against America.
How long will it be before more serious efforts of private warfare from Westerners determined to fight the jihad on their territory are made rather than waiting for the next tower here to come crashing down as the result of a terrorist assault?
If the jihadis really think that all of us are fair targets in their jihad (and they clearly do believe that), how long will it be before enough of our people accept that view and respond as combatants who won't just wait for the jihadis to strike?
UPDATE: Well, not the first. But that just means the trend is already starting. Of course, I'd guess that serious private efforts would take place in countries whose citizens don't have the option of joining their military at war against the jihadis.